Clasp



Sept. 15, 1964 KOVEN 3,148,428

CLASP Filed March 29, 1963 63.) INVENTOR MARC KOVEN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,148,428 CLASP lt iarc Keven, 166 E. 43th St, New York, N.Y. Filed Ma. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 269,015 8 *Ciaims. (Cl. 24230) The present invention relates generally to improvements in separable fasteners and its relates more particularly to improved safety clasps for use with necklaces, bracelets, and other types of jewelry or ornaments.

It is a common practice to provide the opposite ends of a necklace, bracelet or the like with mating separable fasteners to facilitate the application and removal thereof. The conventional clasps employed in the above connection possess an important drawback in that the clasp is frequently accidentally undone with the result that the associated article is opened and frequently lost. Many types of safety clasps have been employed or proposed wherein means are provided for keeping the ends of the necklace or bracelet joined in the event of the accidental unlocking of the clasp. However these clasps have many disadvantages. They are generally difficult and awkward to operate and manipulate, requiring a high degree of dexterity, are usually of unattractive appearance, relatively weak in relationship to their size and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved separable fastening device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp for use with necklaces, bracelets and the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety clasp for jewelry wherein the mating clasp members remain joined even following the unlocking thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety clasp of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity, attractive appearance, reliability and ease of operation.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a coupled safety clasp embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan fragmentary view thereof in partially uncoupled condition;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear view thereof in a coupled condition;

FIGURE 5 is a front view thereof in a partially uncoupled condition;

FIGURE 6 is a front View of a plug coupling element in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a front fragmentary view of the coupled clasp;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the present invention in coupled condition;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof in partially uncoupled condition;

FIGURE 10 is a rear view thereof in coupled condition;

FIGURE 11 is a front view thereof in partially uncoupled condition;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary front view thereof in coupled condition; and

FIGURE 13 is a front view thereof in the position where the plug member is displaced from its locked condition but nevertheless remains secured to the socket member indicating a safety feature of the device.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the proice vision of a safety clasp assembly comprising a first coupling member including a longitudinally extending front wall and an end wall directed rearwardly from an edge of said front wall having formed therein a longitudinal slot extending to said end wall and provided with an enlarged aperture spaced from said end wall and communicating with said slot, and said end wall having formed therein a transverse slot extending to the edge of said end wall into communication with said longitudinal slot, and a bifurcated second coupling member disposed behind said front wall and releasably engaging said first coupling member and including a pair of longitudinally extending top and bottom arms joined along their leading ends and having their trailing ends resiliently outwardly sprung to a height greater than said longitudinal and transverse slots and being releasably compressible to an overall height less than that of said slots, and a detent located on said second coupling member forward of the trailing end thereof and located forward of said enlarged aperture for restricting the transverse movement thereof when said detent is out of registry with said enlarged aperture, said detent being of smaller dimensions than said en larged aperture for permitting the transverse movement of said second coupling member when said detent is in registry with said enlarged aperture, at least one of said legs when in outwardly sprung position releasably engaging said first coupling member to restrict relative longitudinal movement between said coupling members, and manipulative means for compressing said second coupling member arms and release said coupling members for relative longitudinal movement.

According to a preferred form of the present device, the first coupling member is a socket member of tubular shape including opposite end walls and longitudinally extending front and rear walls, the front wall enlarged aperture projecting upwardly from the longitudinal slot, and a vertical medial slot projecting upwardly from the end Wall transverse slot. A longitudinal slot is formed in the socket member rear wall coplanar with the front and end wall slots. The mating plug member resilient arms normally diverge from their inner end, the detent member being directed upwardly from said inner end and extending the full Width of the arms. The lower arm projects through the end wall transverse slot and terminates in an upwardly directed wall abutting the socket member end wall, and the upper arm is shorter than the lower arm and releasably engages the inner face of the socket member end wall. A finger piece projects from the free end of the upper arm through the end wall vertical slot to permit the manipulation of the upper leg and the unlocking of the coupling members. Coupling rings are attached to the plug member outer end and the opposite end of the socket member. A rearwardly directed guide finger is located on the plug mem' her inner end and slidably engages the rear wall slot.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the improved safety clasp assembly is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a separable interlocked socket member 11 and plug member 12 which are formed of any suitable material such as gold, platinum or silver, or alloys thereof, and may be decorated and ornamented as desired. The socket member 11 is of tubular configuration, preferably of rectangular trans verse cross section, and includes vertical front and rear rectangular walls 13 and 14 respectively and horizontal top and bottom walls 16 and 17 and is closed by opposite rectangular end walls 18 and 19 whose borders project beyond the said top, front and rear walls.

Formed in and extending along the width of the end wall 19 from the front edge thereof is a horizontal transm9 verse slot 20 the bottom edge of which is at the level of the inner face of the bottom wall 17. A medially located vertical slot 21 (see FIG. 3) projects upwardly from the transverse slot 20 to a point below the top of the end Wall 19. A longitudinal horizontal slot 22 is formed in the front wall 13 and extends from the end wall 19 in communication with the transverse slot 20 to a point short of the end wall 18, the slot 22 being at the same level and of substantially the same width as the slot 20. A keying aperture 23 extends upwardly from the slot 22 intermediate the ends thereof. A longitudinal narrow guide slot 24 is formed in the rear Wall 14 at the level of the bottom wall 17 and is substantially cextensive with the slot 22.

The plug member 12 includes a bifurcated section comprising a pair of longitudinal fiat upper and lower arms 26 and 27 respectively, joined along their inner or leading ends and diverging outwardly toward their free ends, the arms 26 and 27 being resiliently outwardly sprung and being contractable to a height to permit their leading sections to be slidable through and along the slots and 22 as best seen in FIGURE 5. The lower arm 27 is longer than the upper arm 26 and when the clasp 10 is in coupled condition the trailing edge of the upper arm 26 substantially engages the inner face of the end wall 19 above the slot 29 and the lower arm 27 projects through the slot 20. A vertical end wall 28 of the outline of the end wall 19 is aflixed to the free end of the arm 27 and confronts the outer face of the end wall 19 when the clasp 10 is in coupled condition. A finger piece 29 is disposed along the outer face of the end wall 28 and is connected to the free end of the upper arm 26 by a longitudinal shank 30 which slidably registers with a vertical medial slot 32 formed in the end wall 28 and extending to the top thereof.

An upstanding detent defining rib 33 is located on and extends across the width of the leading end of the arm 26 and is smaller than and mates the keying aperture 23 and projects above the upper edge of the longitudinal slot 22. Directed rearwardly from the leading edge of the arms 26 and 27 is a tongue element 34 which slidably engages the rear guide slot 24. Coupling rings 36 and 37 are afiixed to the end walls 18 and 28 respectively to facilitate the attachment of the clasp members to an associated article.

In uncoupling the clasp members, the finger piece 29 is depressed to lower the free edge of the arm 26 out of engagement with the inner face of the wall 19 and into alignment withthe slot 20. The plug member 12 is then withdrawn through the slot 20 until the detent 33 is in transverse alignment with the aperture 23. Thereafter, the plug member 12 is slid forward through and along the slots 22 and 29 to fully separate the plug and socket members 12 and 11. To couple the clasp members, the finger piece 29 is depressed to contract the arms 26 and 27, the detent is brought into registry with the aperture 23 and the contracted arms are slid through the slot 22 and along the slot 20 to bring the tongue 34 into engagement with the slot 24 and the leading sections of the arms 26 and 27 into registry with the socket member 11. The plug member 12 is then pushed into full engagement with the socket member at which point the trailing edge of the arm 26 is inside the end wall 19 and the arm 26, being released from the slot 20, springs upwardly to bring it above the slot 20 with its trailing edge in engagement with the inner face of the end wall 19. The clasp members 11 and 12 are thus in locked coupled position. In the event that the arm 26 is accidentally depressed and moves through the slot 20, the plug member 12 will normal travel the full length of the socket member 11 carrying the detent 33 past the aperture 23 and into engagement with the end wall 19. The detent 33 being of greater height than the slot 20 the clasp members remain coupled to obviate the accidental separation of the clasp members.

IN FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawing there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which differs from that first described primarily in the structure of the bifurcated section of the plug member. Specifically, the socket member 38 is similar to the previously described socket member 11. Associated with the socket member 38 is a plug member 39 which includes a fiat longitudinally extending bottom arm 44), the inner end of which is provided with an integrally formed upwardly directed leg 41 which is joined by a curved upwardly convex section to a downwardly directed leg 42 shorter than the leg 41 and defining therewith a transversely extending upwardly directed rib or detent 43. An upper arm 44 is integrally formed with the leg 42 and extends longitudinally therefrom and is shorter than and diverges relative to the lower arm 40. As in the previous embodiment, a vertical end wall 46 is affixed to the free end of the lower arm and has a vertical slot formed therein which slidably accommodates a shank 47 projecting from the arm 44. The shank 47 terminates in a finger piece 48 disposed along the outer face of the wall 46.

The operation and application of the safety clasp last described is similar to that first described.

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURES 8 to 13 of the drawing and comprises a tubular socket member 49 and a mating plug member 50. The socket member 49 is of rectangular cross-section and includes front and rear walls 51 and 52, top and bottom walls 53 and 54, and first and second end walls 56 and 57. Formed in the end wall 57 is a transverse slot 58 extending to the front edge thereof and a vertical slot projecting upwardly from the slot 58 intermediate the front and rear edges of the wall 57. A longitudinal slot 69 is formed in the front wall 51 and extends from the slot 5 5 to a point intermediate the ends of the wall 51 and terminates at its inner end in an upwardly directed aperture 60. A longitudinal slot 61 is formed in the rear wall 52 and extends for the full length thereof. The slots 58, 69 and 61 are at a common level along the top face of the bottom wall 54.

The plug member 552' comprises a flat longitudinal bottom arm 63 which, when the plug and socket members are in coupled condition, projects through the slot 58 and terminates in an integrally formed coplanar coupling ring 64 disposed outside the end wall 57. An upper longitudinal resilient arm 65 is aflixed at its leading end to the leading end of the bottom arm 63 and normally diverges from the arm 63 approaching its free end. integrally formed with the arm 65 and directed outwardly from the free end thereof is a longitudinal shank 66 of lesser width than the arm 65 and lying along the medial axis thereof. The shank 66 terminates in a cupped circular finger piece 67. An upwardly directed rib 68 extends across the inner edge of the arm 65 and is of slightly less transverse cross section than that of the aperture 66 and a tongue 59 projects rearwardly from the inner edge of the plug member 5i In the fully coupled position of the clasp members 49 and 5d, the shank 66 slidably registers with the vertical slot in the front wall 57, the tongue 59 slidably registers with the rear wall slot 61 and the shoulders defined by the trialing edge of the arm 65 engages the inner face of the end wall 57 above the slot 58 to releasably lock the clasp members in coupled relationship. The manipulation and operation of the last described clasp is similar to that first described.

In FIGURE 11 there is illustrated the situation which results when the arm 65 is accidentally displaced and moves through the slot 61, plug member 5% traveling the full length of the socket member 49 carrying the detent 63 past the aperture 69 and into engagement with front Wall 57, thus retaining plug member 59 in socket member 49 and preventing the opening of the device. This, of course, constitutes the second safety feature of the device.

While there have been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is cla med is:

1. A safety clasp assembly comprising a first coupling member including a longitudinally extending front wall and an end wall directed rearwardly from an edge of said front wall, said front wall having formed therein a longitudinal slot extending to said end wall and provided with an enlarged aperture spaced from said end wall and communicating with said slot, and said end wall having formed therein a transverse slot extending to the edge of said end wall into communication with said longitudinal slot, and a bifurcated second coupling member transverse 1y separable and longitudinally unseparable from said first coupling member and disposed behind said front wall and releasably engaging said first coupling member and including a pair of longitudinally extending top and bottom arms joined along their leading ends and having their trailing ends resiliently outwardly sprung to a height greater than said longitudinal and transverse slots and being releasably compressible to an overall height less than that of said slots, and a detent located on said second coupling member forward of the trailing end thereof and located forward of said enlarged aperture for restricting the transverse movement thereof when said detent is out of registry with said enlarged aperture, said detent being of smaller dimensions than said enlarged aperture for permitting the transverse movement of said second coupling member when said detent is in registry with said enlarged aperture, at least one of said arms when in outwardly sprung position releasably engaging said first coupling member to restrict relative longitudinal movement between said coupling members, and manipulative means for compressing said second coupling member arms and releasing said coupling members for relative longitudinal movement.

2. A safety clasp assembly comprising a tubular socket member including a front wall and an end wall hav'mg formed therein respectively longitudinal and transverse communicating slots and an aperture directed upwardly from said longitudinal slot and spaced from said end wall, a plug member transversely separably registering with and longitudinally unseparable from said socket member and including a pair of longitudinally extending upper and lower arms joined at their inner ends and resiliently outwardly sprung at their outer ends and having an upwardly directed detent disposed adjacent its inner end, the height of said detent above the underface of said lower arm being less than the height of said aperture above the aligned bottom edge of said longitudinal slot and greater than the height of said longitudinal slot, said upper arm releasably engaging said socket member to restrict relative longitudinal movement between said plug and socket members, and means for contracting said arms to a height less than the height of said longitudinal slot.

3. A safety clasp assembly comprising a tubular socket member including a front wall and an end wall having formed therein respectively longitudinal and transverse communicating slots and an aperture directed upwardly from said longitudinal slot and spaced from said end wall, a plug member transversely separably registering with and longitudinally unseparable from said socket member and including a pair of longitudinally extending upper and lower arms joined at their inner ends and resiliently outwardly sprung at their outer ends and having an upwardly directed detent disposed adjacent its inner end, the height or" said detent above the underface of said lower arm eing less than the height of said aperture above the aligned bottom edge of said longitudinal slot and greater than the height of said longitudinal slot, the free end of said upper arm bearing against the inner face of said end wall and said lower arm extending through said transverse slot, and a finger piece member afiixed to the leading end of said upper arm and projecting through said end wall.

4. The safety clasp assembly of claim 3 including an upwardly directed wall afiixed to the free end of said lower arm and substantially abutting the outer face of said end wall.

5. The safety clasp assembly of claim 3 wherein said end wall has formed therein a vertical medial aperture extending upwardly from said transverse slot, said finger piece member vertically slidably registering with said medial aperture.

6. The safety clasp assembly of claim 3 wherein said socket member includes a rear wall having a longitudinal slot formed therein at the level of said front wall longitudinal slot and terminating short of the outer face of said end wall and said plug member includes a leg member rearwardly directed from the leading end of said plug member and slidably engaging said rear wall longitudinal slot.

7. The safety clasp assembly of claim 3 including ring members aflixed to the outer end of said plug member and the opposite end of said socket member.

3. The safety clasp assembly of claim 3 wherein said plug member arms are formed of a single length of resilient metal band defining said arms which are integrally joined at their inner ends by an upwardly directed inverted U-shaped section defining said detent.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 889,230 Hofiman June 2, 1908 1,094,947 Strauss et al. Apr. 28, 1917 1,238,495 Christ Aug. 28, 1917 1,396,887 Schrotter Nov. 15, 1921 2,986,792 Wyatt June 6, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1908 7,192 Great Britain 1908 

1. A SAFETY CLASP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FIRST COUPLING MEMBER INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRONT WALL AND AN END WALL DIRECTED REARWARDLY FROM AN EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING FORMED THEREIN A LONGITUDINAL SLOT EXTENDING TO SAID END WALL AND PROVIDED WITH AN ENLARGED APERTURE SPACED FROM SAID END WALL AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLOT, AND SAID END WALL HAVING FORMED THEREIN A TRANSVERSE SLOT EXTENDING TO THE EDGE OF SAID END WALL INTO COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL SLOT, AND A BIFURCATED SECOND COUPLING MEMBER TRANSVERSELY SEPARABLE AND LONGITUDINALLY UNSEPARABLE FROM SAID FIRST COUPLING MEMBER AND DISPOSED BEHIND SAID FRONT WALL AND RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID FIRST COUPLING MEMBER AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TOP AND BOTTOM ARMS JOINED ALONG THEIR LEADING ENDS AND HAVING THEIR TRAILING ENDS RESILIENTLY OUTWARDLY SPRUNG TO A HEIGHT GREATER THAN SAID LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE SLOTS AND BEING RELEASABLY COMPRESSIBLE TO AN OVERALL HEIGHT LESS THAN THAT OF SAID SLOTS, AND A DETENT LOCATED ON SAID SECOND COUPLING MEMBER FORWARD OF THE TRAILING END THEREOF AND LOCATED FORWARD OF SAID ENLARGED APERTURE FOR RESTRICTING THE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT THEREOF WHEN SAID DETENT IS OUT OF REGISTRY WITH SAID ENLARGED APERTURE, SAID DETENT BEING OF SMALLER DIMENSIONS THAN SAID ENLARGED APERTURE FOR PERMITTING THE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND COUPLING MEMBER WHEN SAID DETENT IS IN REGISTRY WITH SAID ENLARGED APERTURE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ARMS WHEN IN OUTWARDLY SPRUNG POSITION RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID FIRST COUPLING MEMBER TO RESTRICT RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID COUPLING MEMBERS, AND MANIPULATIVE MEANS FOR COMPRESSING SAID SECOND COUPLING MEMBER ARMS AND RELEASING SAID COUPLING MEMBERS FOR RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT. 